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Dionna Pridgeon

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Teacher Bio

Originally from Chicago, Dionna Pridgeon is the Creative Director of moveDIPR (move deeper). She is presently on faculty at Ailey Extension & Guest Faculty at BDC. Dionna is a gifted Educator who has served on faculty at Steps on Broadway, Joffrey Ballet School & Academy of Dance, Debbie Reynolds LA & Visceral Dance Center (Chicago); She has taught classes at Gibney Dance, Peridance, Edge PAC (LA), & Movement Lifestyle LA. In Chicago, she was on Faculty at Lou...read more

Originally from Chicago, Dionna Pridgeon is the Creative Director of moveDIPR (move deeper). She is presently on faculty at Ailey Extension & Guest Faculty at BDC. Dionna is a gifted Educator who has served on faculty at Steps on Broadway, Joffrey Ballet School & Academy of Dance, Debbie Reynolds LA & Visceral Dance Center (Chicago); She has taught classes at Gibney Dance, Peridance, Edge PAC (LA), & Movement Lifestyle LA. In Chicago, she was on Faculty at Lou Conte Dance Studio (Hubbard Street Dance Center) for 6 years, where she successfully built 7 classes, ranging from Contemporary, Hip Hop, & Jazz. Dionna taught a Master Class for The Pulse on Tour – Atlantic City, as well as Guest Judge for The Pulse on Tour NYC! Internationally, Dionna has taught workshops in both Norway & Germany. Most recently, Dionna was asked to teach at Ivy League, Princeton University (NJ).

Dionna is a graduate of Point Park University, where she received her Dance degree. She studied with Rennie Harris Puremovement (Philadelphia), received scholarships & recognition from Monsters of Hip Hop, The Pulse on Tour, & Dance Spirit Magazine! Dionna performed works in both concert & commercial dance, working with dance icons: Lou Conte, Robert Battle, & Margo Sappington, to name a few, as well as choreographers: Brian Friedman, Kevin Maher, NappyTabs, Shaun Evaristo, Ian Eastwood, Justin Giles, Rhapsody, plus more! She danced in companies such as Pillow Project (PA), Pittsburgh Ensemble, and is the former Resident Choreographer of Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre (Chicago). FUN FACT: Dionna worked as a hairstylist, when the Brittany Spears Circus Tour was in Chicago!

Class Descriptions

Contemporary

A connection of the mind/body/spirit through a thorough warmup sequence helps to begin the class process. Dionna's warmup is a break from classic and traditional, focusing on breath, length, conditioning, center phrases, and moving from a stationary base. A more therapeutic form of improv is also incorporated to help dancers explore their own voices. Across the floor sequences vary from class to class, not built upon progressions, but focuses on longer phrases - quality and dynamics.

The class will always learn a piece of choreography that holds a more organic, human approach, which allows for subtly and freedom. Movement is solely lead by musical nuisances, which can also challenge detail/quality. Choreography bounces from a Contemporary Modern to a Contemporary Hip-Hop style.

Jazz/Funk/Hip-Hop

Class begins with a classic form of stretching, isolations, and conditioning. To help dancers with basic elements of style and cleanliness, across the floor sequences have been developed. Students will recognize differences in visual connection from desired initiation. Dionna's style is clean, groovy and detailed, varies from performance to precision. Music is the impetus for style.